One of the top junior prospects in Ohio was on campus yesterday for Ohio State's win over Colorado in Pickerington Central defensive end Taco Charlton. The 6-foot-6, 240-pound prospect holds five BCS offers and Ohio State has continued to show steady interest in the local product. Overall, Charlton came away impressed by what he saw at 'The Shoe' on Saturday.

"It was a good game," said Charlton. "I got to talk to some of the coaches. I talked to coach (Mike) Vrabel and then after that I talked to coach (Luke) Fickell for a little bit."

Charlton did not leave campus with an offer but the Ohio State coaches made it a point to let him know that they still like him very much as a prospect.

"They said that they liked me and everything and that they are still looking at me," he said. "Coach Vrabel said he would probably be recruiting my area and to give him a call sometime."

Coming off a tough loss to Miami last weekend, it was unclear just how rowdy the atmosphere would be in Ohio Stadium on Saturday but Charlton said the fans definitely did their part.

"It was a great atmosphere," he said. "All of the fans after the game were hyped up. I liked (the visit) it was a good experience."

Though Charlton enjoyed himself, he is maintaining an open mind about the recruiting process and doesn't have any schools out in front right now.

"I'm still wide open," Charlton said. "I don't really have any favorites. I'm just looking for the school that gives me the best opportunities."

With former teammates all over the Midwest at programs such as Cincinnati, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, and others, Charlton is getting pulled in a few different directions. Still, he looks at having those connections as an overall positive.

"I talk to those guys a lot," he said. "It doesn't make it harder; it actually helps a little bit to learn about these schools. I know before I go to a school what to expect and everything. I'm not going to base my opinion off what they tell me though."

On the field, Charlton and his Pickerington Central teammates got a much needed win on Friday night in a 24-21 thriller over rival Pickerington North. Charlton had a pair of key pressures on North's final drive to help preserve the victory.

"The coaches told me that I needed to bring something," he said. "I tried to bring pressure and force him into our middle linebacker and my brother out there Greg Basalyga made a great tackle. He had a great game and we got the 'W'."

With the win, Central is now firmly back into the playoff hunt and it could be argued that Friday's win saved the season for the Tigers.

"It was a huge game, I mean it's our rivalry game," he said. "We've never lost to North and we knew this couldn't be the year to do it and plus we needed this win to make the tournament and to win the OCC."

After checking out games at Michigan and Ohio State in recent weeks, Charlton will continue to be busy in the near future and listed Cincinnati, Kentucky, Notre Dame, Purdue, Tennessee, as possible unofficial visits over the next two months.